Revolving lathe center



March 25, 1930. H. R. ONG

REVOLVING LATHE CENTER Filed May 27.. 1927 INVENTOR H R 0N6- ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1930 HAROLD RAY ONG, OF CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS REVOLVING LATHE CENTER Application filed May 27', 1927. Serial No. 194,774.

1 wood turning, requiring less energy to run the lathe, and permitting continuous operation.

A further object is to provide a revolving lathe center which is constructed in such a manner that a lubricant, such as grease or oil, is carried'without a possibility of leak- A further object is to provide a device of the type described in which longitudinal movement of the center is obviated and in which any possibility of lateral motion to cause wabbling is eliminated.

Other objects and advantages w1l1 appear in the followin specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which O Figure 1 is a sectional new of one form of the device, and

Figure 2 is a sectlon along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, I have shown therein an arbor 1, which is tapered so as to fit into the spindle of the tailstock of a lathe, not shown. The arbor is provided with portions which are reduced successively, as shown at 2, 3, 4 and 5, the latter-bein threaded. On the portion 2 is a threade closure plug 6, having a projection 7, by means of which it may be turned with a wrench. ThlS plug is provided with a recess 8 m which a felt washer '9 is disposed. A cup-shaped metal washer 10 bears on the felt washer, as shown at 10. Contiguous to the metal washer .0 is a ball race having an outer portion 12 and an inner portion 13, betweenwhich the balls 11 are held. It will be noted that the outer portion 12 of the race bears against the metal washer, but that the inner portion of the race is spaced from the washer, being .frictionally held on the portion 3 of the arbor.

A spacing sleeve 14 is provided which bears at one end against the member 13 of the ball bearing assembly. A second ball bea'ring assembly, similar to the first and consisting of the inner portions 15 and outer portion 16, is disposed on the reduced portion 4' of the arbor, the inner portions 15 bearing against a shoulder 17 formed by the reduced portion 4. A nut 18 holds the inner portions 15 of the bearing securely in position.

The center proper consists of a tapered portion 19 carried by a body 20, and the latter has at one end thereof an integral sleeve 21, which is threaded at one end to receive the threaded plug 6 and which has an opening normally closed by a plug 22.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In assembling the device, the lug 6 is first placed on the arbor with its elt washer, the washer 10 is placed in position,'the bearing assembly 11, 12 and 13, the sleeve 14, the bearing assembly 15, 16, and the nut 18. The sleeve 21 is then slipped over the assembled portions until the shoulder 21 engages the bearing'member 13. The plug 6 is then screwed in tightly, thus firmly clamping the metal washer 10 in lace. The plug 22 is removed, and the interior of the structure is filled with oil, when the plug is again screwed in lace. 3

It will be seen t at with the construction as described above, longitudinal play is obviated, since when a thrust comes on the center portion 19, it is transmitted through the sleeve 21 to the bearing portion 12 where it is received by the balls 11 and transmitted to the bearing portion 13' which is held by the shoulder of the reduced portion 3. Lateral movement is prevented so that there is no Wabbling. 95

In cases where work turns on a stati nary center, there is considerable friction hie causes heatin of the center and the material being worke on, and in some cases is with cient to cause the lathe to stop, and it is also necessary to stop it frequently and lubricate the center.

It will be noted that in my device, provision is made'for the holdin of the lubricant without the possibility of t e latter working out. Since the center revolves and the friction is greatly reduced, the energy required to operate a lathe is very much less than where the center is stationary. The lathe may be operated at a higher speed, and continuously; thus enabling one to finish a given piece of work in much less time.

I claim:

A lathe center construction comprising a stationary spindle having a pair of reduced portions and a threaded end, ball bearings mounted upon each of the reduced portions, a sleeve disposed upon the spindle between said bearings and in engagement therewith, a nut disposed upon the threaded portion and bearing against one of said ball bearings for securing the ball bearings to the spindle, a lathe center mounted for rotation about the ball bearings and having a threaded opening disposed concentrically with respect to the stationary spindle, a closure plug having a recess and being threaded for engaging the threaded portion of the lathe center, oil retaining means disposed within said recess and arran ed to bear against a portion of the spind e, and a rigid washer disposed between one of said ball bearings and the closure plug and being-arranged to bear against the oil retaining means for retaining the latter.

HAROLD RAY one. 

